Roll-changing apparatus for electrolytic coating lines



C. J. KLEIN Nov. 13, 1945.

ROLL CHANGING APPARATUS FORELECTROLYTIC COATING LINES Filed Feb. 10, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm mm E a Nov. 13, 1945. c. J. KLEIN 2,388,980

ROLL CHANGING APPARATUS FOR ELECTROLYTIC COATING LINES Filed Feb. 10, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I i if C/arenced/f/efn Patented Nov. 13, 1945 OFFICE;

ROLL-CHANGING APPARATUS FOR ELEC- TROLYTIC COATING LINES Clarence J. Klein, Hollidays Cove, W. Va., assignor to National Steel Corporation, a corporation of I Delaware I Application February 10, 1944, Serial No. 521,796

Claims. (Cl. 212-134) This invention relates to elect olyte coating lines and, in particular, to means for changing contact rolls installed therein for engaging the strip being coated to connect it to one terminal of a source 01' electric current. In one form of electrolytic tinning line (disclosed and claimed in application Serial No.-

48'7,758, which E. W. Rieger and I filed on May 20, 1943), a plurality of electrolyte pans or tanks are disposed in spaced relation in upper and lower tiers and a strip ispassed through the' electrolyte in the pans of the two tiers'succes sively, where it is first coated on one side and then on the other. The pans of the upper and lower tiers are carried on common supporting columns. Contact rolls are disposed between adiacent pans of both tiers, and are joumaled in.

spaced housings. In the operation 01' electrolytic tinning lines, it is observed that a'ccretions of tin initially deposited on the strip build up onthe surface of the rolls. This necessitates redressing or the rolls about once a week. The construction of the tlnning line as outlined above, however, precludes the use of the inill crane for handling the contact rolls of the lower. tier of pans because of the presence of the upper tier of pans thereabove with their contact rolls and supporting structure. As a result, the periodic changing of the contact rolls associated with the pans of the lower tier has been attended with considerable difliculty. The necessity of stop: ping the strip traversing the-tinning line while changing contact rolls is seriously objectionable.

I have invented a novel lifting apparatus for handling the'contact rolls associated with the electrolyte pans, so they can be removed from and replaced in their supporting housings easily and quickly and without seriously interrupting the production of tinned strip. In a preferred "the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a partial transverse section through a tinning linehaving the invention incorporated therein, with parts removed; and

Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal sectiontaken along the plane of line III[ of Figure 1.

- [Referring in detail to the drawings, a tinning line for steel strip comprises a plurality of electrolyte pans Illa, illb, etc., spaced apart horizontally and arranged, as shown in Figure 1, in ver-. ticall spaced tiers. The pans and other associated apparatus to be described are'carried on columns Ila and I lb standing on a suitable foundation I2. The pans of the lower tier are carried on cross beams l3 which rest on girders i4 extending between adjacent columns. Similarly,

the pans of the'upper tier are carried on cross beams H which rest on girders l6 secured to the columns.

Electrolyte is supplied to the pans loo; Ilib, etc., from a sump tank I! by a pump l8 and delivery pipe Ill. The electrolyte delivered to the pans overflows the end walls thereof and falls embodiment, I provide an overhead rail or track extending transversely of the tinning line and laterally thereof to a point substantially free from overhead obstruction, A trolley traveling into collecting trays 20, A drain pipe 2| extends downwardly from the trays 20 to the tank l1. Alternate drain connections 22 are provided for carrying away the electrolyte when it is to be discarded.

In order to supply current to the strip passing successively through the pans. contact rolls 23, 24 are joumaled in spaced housings 25 carried on the beams 13. One pair of rolls 23, 24 is disposed between each pair of adjacent pans of.

both the upper and lower tiers. The rolls are composed of metal but the roll 24 has a rubber sheath 26 covering the exterior of the bod-y.p rtion thereof. The rolls have reduced necks journaled in suitable chucks disposed in the housings 25. A top transom 21 (shown in chain lines ashaving been removed) connects the upper ends of the housings in which opposite ends 0! the rolls of each pair are journaled, Keeper yokes 21a secured to the transom extend downwardly therefrom around the necks of roll 23. I The transom is also provided with screwdownsflb. As shown-in Figure 2, the pass line 28 between the rolls is onlv' slightly above the edges of the end walls of the pans so that strip traveling between the rolls is in contact with the-electrolyte delivered to the pans and overflowing the end walls thereof.

Anode bars 29 of tin are disposed in the pans below the path of the strip. Connections thereto the following description thereof which refers to from one terminal of the source of electric cursuch as "rinse tanks installed thereabove.

' rolls 2' establish connections from the strip to the other terminal of the current source. Brush holders Ill are secured to, but insulated from,

the housings 2B and are provided with fixed brush arms 3|. Swinging brush arms 32 are also carried on the holders 30. The brush arms are provided with a'plurality of brushes 33 adapted to engage enlargements 34 on the necks of roll 23. Conductors of any suitable form extend from the brush holders to the other terminal of the source of electric current.

The means which I have invented for quickly removing the upper contact roll 23 includes an overhead rail 35 secured to the girders is intermediate the columns Ila and lib between adia cent-pans Illa, lob, etc.,.and a trolley 36 adapted to travel thereon. As clearly shown in the drawings, the rail 35 extends transversely of the tinning line ,and to points laterally thereof which are relatively free from overhead obstruction.

The trolley 36 has a hoist," thereon adapted to.

The sling is then placed around the roll body and the trolley 38 is run in on the rail 35 to the position shown in solid lines in Figure 1. The hoist is then operated to raise the roll 23 to position A shown in chain lines in Figure l. The trolley 36 is then run out on the rail 35 to position B shown in chain lines in Figure 1. The roll is then lowered onto any suitable support disposed alongside the tinning line, being thus positioned at a point relatively free from overhead obstruction where it may be picked up by the mill crane.

A redressed roll previously made ready may then be lifted by the hoist to position 13 and the trolley 36 run back into solid line position so that the new roll, suspended in position A, may be directly lowered into place in the housings 25. Replacement of the transom 21 is all that remains in order to permit the tinning line as a whole to resume operation.

The advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated from the fact that in an ordinary tinning line, there may be as many as twenty or more electrolyte pans and a pair of contact rolls between each pair of adjacent pans. Since the upper or conducting contact roll requires redressing about once a week, as above indicated, it will be perceived that twenty or more roll changes will be required every week and that the total time lost from stoppages of the line for roll changing is materially reduced by the invention which makes possible the changing of the rolls in a minimum time. The rolls of the upper tier may be provided with handling equipment similar to that described for the rolls of the bottom tier since access thereto by the usual mill crane is obstructed by other electro-coating apparatus My invention avoids the prolonged stoppages of production which have heretofore been necessary for the purpose of changing the contact rolls of both the bottom and top tiers by .hand. It will be understood that the rail 35 and trolley 35 are duplicated between each pair of electrolyte pans of the two tiers.

While the invention has been described in connection with the changing of the contact rolls of a tinning line, it is obviously applicable to similar apparatus for plating strip with a' coating of zinc or other metal, as well as to other installations of the same general type in which overhead obstructions interfere with the handling or a roll by the usual mill crane.

Although I have illustrated and described but a preferred embodiment of the invention, itwlll be recognized that changes in the construct-on and arrangement disclosed may be made without departing from the principle of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Lifting apparatus for use in an electrolytic coating line or the like wherein electrolyte pans are disposed in vertically spaced tiers'and contact rolls are disposed between adjacent pans and journaled in spaced housings, the parts in the upper tier precluding-the use of a'i'nill cranefor handling the rolls of the lower tier, said apparatus comprising a hoist and a rail on which it travels, said rail being below the pans and rolls of the pans are disposed in vertically spaced tiers and carried on common supporting columns, and contact rolls are disposed between adjacent pans in each tier, and Journaled in spaced housings, precluding the use of a mill crane for handling the rolls of the lower tier, said apparatus comprising an overhead rail supported by said columns extending transversely of the line and laterally thereof to a point relatively free from overhead obstruction, and a trolley having a'hoist thereon traveling along said rail. I

3. Lifting apparatus for use in an electrolytic coating line or the like wherein pans are disposed in vertically spaced tiers and contact rolls are positioned adjacent one or more of said pans, the arrangement of pans and rolls precludingthe use of a mill crane for handling the rolls in one of said tiers below the uppermost tier, said apparatus comprising a hoist and a rail on which it travels, said rail being below the uppermost pan and extending above a set of rolls adjacent a lower pan and laterally thereof to a point relatively free from overhead obstructions.

4. Lifting apparatus for use in an electrolytic coating line or the like wherein pans are supported by framework in vertically spaced tiers and contact rolls are positioned adjacentone or more of said pans, the arrangement of pans and rolls precluding the use of a. mill crane for handling the rolls in one of said tiers below the uppermost tier, said apparatus comprising a hoist and a rail on which it travels, said rail being supported by said framework and extending from a point above a set of rolls adjacent a lower pan to a point relatively free from overhead obstructions.

5. In combination, framework having a plurality of levels, electro-coating apparatus supported by the framework at each of said levels, said apparatus in at least one of said levels includin contact rolls, a rail supported by the framework over the roll and extending beyond the framework to a point relatively free from overhead obstructions, and a hoist on said rail.

CLARENCE J. KLEIN. 

